A War's Worth of Reasons
by Dark Star of Chaos
Summary: TFP. Starscream had never been short on reasons to want Megatron dead. All he'd needed was an opportunity to make it happen. Set during "Masters and Students".


Little remained of the Decepticons' orbital Space Bridge after the explosion. Much of the debris had fallen to Earth, leaving the remaining fragments to cluster together like a miniature asteroid field. No part of the wreckage gave any indication of what it had once been, but the sight made one thing clear to the silver Seeker surveying it:

"No one could have survived this."

Starscream turned the other way, searching for a glint of platinum plating from his place on a large chunk of debris. The sheer futility brought a satisfied smile to his face. So much for Soundwave's insistence that there was something worth investigating here.

"As I suspected, faulty sensors. The last thing I need now are rumors that Megatron is still-"

He was interrupted by his comm unit coming to life, carrying a low groan to his audios. It was on an emergency channel meant only for SOS calls, and the voice, recognizable even in pain, sent a chill through Starscream's frame. He activated his scanners, certain it was a glitch - it had to be a glitch! - but they immediately registered a familiar life signal. Weak, yes, and corrupted, but present. And close. Very close.

He turned toward it in a daze and leapt from his perch into the weightlessness of space. His momentum carried him to another piece of wreckage, and he used it as a springboard to propel himself toward his goal. He could see the source of the signal, looking for all the world like something dead, but his scanners assured him that it wasn't.

"Megatron." Starscream's instincts warned him not to get too close, but the empty void around him made that impossible. He reached out as he drifted closer, placing his hands on the motionless mech's chest to halt himself. An instant later claws clamped down on his shoulders, jerking him face to snarling face with Megatron. Starscream reared back with a gasp, automatically trying to pull away. It was a wasted effort, as it always was. But the burning optics stared right through him, and the hands holding him lacked their usual strength. After only a moment they slipped away and Megatron stilled, leaving Starscream shaken but unharmed. And no longer doubting that his leader still lived.

"But how?" He lowered his gaze and there between his hands, nestled within a gaping hole in Megatron's chest, lay his answer.

"Dark Energon." Of course. The vile substance had plagued his existence for millions of years: why shouldn't it continue to do so by sustaining the one mech he wanted dead more than any other? Except...

Nervous excitement swept through him. He was the one in control this time, wasn't he? He could end it all, right now. All the pain, the humiliation, everything he'd ever suffered at Megatron's hands… he could make sure none of it ever happened again.

This was even better than Megatron dying in the Space Bridge explosion. Now Starscream could end him personally.

He leaned forward, delicately hooking his talons into broad shoulders to anchor himself as he brought his face close to Megatron's. "Everyone believes you are deceased," he mused, and _oh,_ how he hoped Megatron could hear him. "Who am I to disappoint them? _Master._ "

The last word was an afterthought, a taunt he couldn't resist now that the tables had turned, and he put every drop of hatred he could into it. This mech had taken _everything_ from him - his people, his pride, his freedom, his _planet_. Everything he'd fought so hard to obtain in the first place, stripped away by this one mech's insane quest for revenge against a long-dead system.

Now it was Starscream's turn for revenge.

He drew back, hesitating for only a moment before reaching into Megatron's chest and taking hold of the crystal within. It came free easily. Megatron's body seized under him, life returning briefly to optics wide with shocked pain. One hand came up, reaching for Starscream as though to stop him. Then the hand dropped, the optics rolled back, and the massive frame went limp. Starscream pushed himself up, planting one foot on Megatron's chest before kicking him away with a triumphant snarl.

"And this time, _stay dead!"_

* * *

 **Greetings all. Here I am again, starting a series with a one-shot. This was actually written to be the prologue of a longer work, but I decided it worked better on its own.**

 **The longer work in question is the first part of a series that's been in development for a couple years. I won't lie, it's going to be a rough ride. And if you've read _Unleashed_ , you already know I don't mess around when it comes to misery. Some stories will be worse than others, but the series as a whole _will_ contain slash, dark and mature themes, and usual helping of soul-crushing angst. It might end up edited for this site, but the full version will be available on AO3. If any of that fails to concern you, you obviously haven't read my fics. Anyway, the first story is slated to begin posting early next year. In the meantime, I'm planning to release the next chapter of _Unleashed_ in October, and December might see a new Christmas tale.**

 **And that's the update! Hope to see you around - assuming I haven't scared you off, that is. ;)**


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